Mother Guerin honored

Terre Haute - In just a few days, Pope Benedict will canonize a nun who founded a community in Indiana. On Tuesday, the state honored Mother Theodore Guerin.

The dedication of Highway 150 as Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Memorial Highway was greeted with applause at the Church of Immaculate Conception on the grounds of St. Mary of the Woods College.

"We have named roads and bridges and other facilities for sports heroes, military heroes, politicians of every description. That's all well and good. But our state has had many of those figures and only one saint," said Governor Mitch Daniels.

"She really traveled these roads and now today to have one of them named for her is very significant," said Sister Paula, Sisters of Providence.

Sister Mother Guerin's picture hovers over her body, where she began the congregation of the Sisters of Providence and the academy, which later became St. Mary of the Woods College. It was her wish to be buried here, but that wasn't always the case.

"When she came back and she first saw Indiana, she said, 'This land was once for me the land of exile, and now it is my portion and I wish to live here all my days,'" said Sister Paula.

With that ceremony behind them, many people are packing their bags to attend the ceremony Sunday at the Vatican in Rome, where blessed Sister Theodore will become a saint.

"When we're in Rome and the Pope actually declares her a saint, what we know is that it just confirms for us what we have believed for a long time," said Sister Paula.

You can see coverage of Mother Guerin's journey to sainthood all through the rest of the week here on Eyewitness News. Hundreds of Hoosiers will travel to the Vatican this weekend to see Pope Benedict declare her a saint. We will have live reports on the group's departure on Eyewitness News Sunrise Wednesday morning. Catch John Stehr's live report from St. Peter's Square on Sunday morning.